Discussion

The Best Pizza in Reno . . . is in Sparks

Five intrepid Chowhounders spent Saturday evening going to five pizza places in the Truckee Meadows to decide who has the best pizza. The MO was basically the same. We'd go into a pizza place, ask for a 12- or 14-inch pizza with half cheese and half with toppings. And we'd ask them to double cut it to make sure there were at least five slices on both sides of the pizza.We then ranked the pizzas for overall quality and then for individual categories: Crust, Cheese, Sauce, Meat toppings, Non-meat toppings and Value. I awarded 10 points for a first-place vote, seven for second, five for third, three for fourth and one for fifth. Not everyone voted in every category, so I totaled the scores and averaged them out.When the dust settled, there was a clear No. 1 choice: Carella's pizzeria and deli on Vista Boulevard near Baring Boulevard. Everyone who gave a first place vote overall gave it to Carella's. It also scored highest with best meat topping, best crust and best value. Nu Yalk Pizza on Kietzke Lane at Moana scored first with best sauce. Ciao Reno scored tops with best cheese and best non-meat topping.Nu Yalk pizza edged out Ciao Reno 6.6 to 6.5 for second place for overall pizza. Zpizza in the Caughlin Ranch shopping center was fourth and Blind Onion on Kings Row at McCarran Boulevard was fifth.Andy noted it was really tough to compare Ciao Reno with the other places since it was more gourmet pizza and the others were more conventional pizza. Maybe we need a round two where we compare Ciao Reno with Blue Moon on Lakeside Drive and Eclipse Pizza at Mayberry Landing.I think the thing that made Carella's stand out was the crust. My fellow Chowhounders tried to analyze what made Carella's the best and concluded maybe it was because they use olive oil in the crust. It has a nice texture and flavor. It's maybe not as thin as some liked it, but the taste makes up for a lot.Niu Yalk pizza stood out for its sauce with the group. I don't know how to describe it, except that it's nice and tangy. The gourmet pizza of Ciao Reno was recognized for the best cheese.Here's the results:Carella's Overall 10Carella's Meat 9Carella's Crust 8.6Ciao Reno Cheese 8.2Nu Yalk Sauce 8.2Carella's Value 8.2Ciao Reno Non-meat 7.6Nu Yalk Overall 6.6Ciao Reno Overall 6.5Nu Yalk Non-meat 6.2Carella's Sauce 6.2Nu Yalk Value 6.2Nu Yalk Cheese 5.8Nu Yalk Meat 5.4Carella's Cheese 5.4Nu Yalk Crust 5.4Ciao Reno Crust 5.4Zpizza Sauce 5.4Zpizza Non-meat 5.2Blind Onion Meat 5Ciao Reno Value 4.4Zpizza Value 4.2Blind Onion Sauce 4Zpizza Meat 4Zpizza Overall 3.8Zpizza Cheese 3.8Carella's Non-meat 3.8Zpizza Crust 3.4Blind Onion Value 3.2Blind Onion Non-meat 3.2Blind Onion Crust 3.2Blind Onion Cheese 2.8Blind Onion Overall 1.8Ciao Reno Sauce 1Ciao Reno Meat 0

I also think Ciao may have lost a few points by being last on the list. Several of us hit the wall when we saw those last pizzas set on the table.

Jerry and I both agreed that Carella's was the best. Today he mentioned that he would like to have it again, this time with some more veggie toppings...but that it was a long drive from our house for Pizza, especially take-out (btw, Carella's really is almost a take-out place, with just a few tables and other intriguing Italian deli stuff for sale as well...). I told him that since its close to my office I could always be asked to pick one up before coming home....

BTW, several of us agreed that in addition to the sauce at New Yalk, the mushrooms were exceptionally tasty. I hope they are always so....

Thanks for organizing Steve. We had a blast; I'm just sorry that there weren't more chowhounders there. I really enjoyed the food AND the company, and I'm not that big of a pizza fan. So maybe next time we could try the great Reno taco crawl??? Now that's something I could get into....

Yeah, it's kind of tough to throw Cia Reno into the mix. And we had no meat from them, so we couldn't grade the meat topping. They clearly don't serve the traditional kind of pizza sauce.Ciao Reno is where you'd take a babe to try to impress her. Carella's and Nu Yalk pizza is where you'd eat after you married her. I love to get a slice of Nu Yalk pizza with mushrooms. Quite tasty.I'm up for a taco crawl.

A big round of applause for Steve for professionally organizing the pizzathon. Judging sheets were given to the participants listing all the parameters. The Chowhounds showed great stamina-unlike a wine tasting, there was no eating and spitting. I regret that the Reno Chowhound board couldn't produce a few more people. Hopefully, the success of this event will draw more interest.

Although Carella's was the #1 consensus, it was by no means a slam dunk for any of us. Carella's had a wonderful crust, however I felt that Ciao was extremely close. I favored the cheese, sauce, and topping combination at Nu Yalk. It was closest to what I grew up with in Chicago. A Carella's crust and Nu Yalk topping would be the best of both worlds. As Steve mentioned, I found it difficult to compare Ciao pizza. They are for the most part a white, sauceless pizza with gourmet ingredients, like 4 different wild mushrooms or heirloom tomatoes. The toppings and cheese are more luxurious, but you pay the price. If you want to sit back and watch football with a beer, pick up Carella's. If you are in the mood for a nice dinner, with terrific wine, in a great atmosphere, head to Ciao. Pizza'd out in Reno, Andy

By the way, when I went into work today, I mentioned to my coworkers about Carella's. I thought I was giving them a hot new tip (several live nearby). They all said, "oh yeah we love that place!" And for Andy: they also told me that if you request an extra thin crust you get more of the cracker-style, but with that great taste....

Also, the Ciao pizza leftovers were delicious the next day. I can't believe that I had them for breakfast on Sunday!

I've been to Big Apple Pizza three or four times. It's nice pizza, and I don't mind eating it, but I don't think it's in the same league as the others. Maybe my judgment is influenced because they sell a glass of Charles Shaw wine (Two Buck Chuck) for something like $4.